Blogging The Boys
There are some not-so-special things about the Cowboys special teams.
The Dallas Cowboys lost on Monday night. That’s fine. Most fans expected such. In a way, it’s almost a relief as it doesn’t build any false hope that they’d make a push for the playoffs. This latest loss pretty much ends that.
But it’s not just that the Cowboys lost this week. They managed to play well for most of the game only to have the bottom drop out at the end. And just when you thought the special teams came through with a great play, they fumbled it away and went from heroes to zeros in just a couple of seconds. That happened when Nick Vigil blocked a punt only to have Amani Oruwariye grab it like it was a wet fish. Naturally, the Bengals fell on the ball and proceeded to do football stuff to win the game. That’s so on-brand for this Cowboys season.
While it may sound like we are being a sulking Sally, these repeated blunders from this football team are a real thing. It can be a little sloppy at times, and quite frankly, we’re tired of it. In particular, the mistakes the Cowboys keep making on special teams are flat-out inexcusable.
The Cowboys special teams unit features Brandon Aubrey, KaVontae Turpin, and Bryan Anger. They have all made the Pro Bowl once over the previous two seasons. These guys are some of the best at what they do and the Cowboys are lucky to have them.
But that’s where the fun stops. When it comes to the other elements in the kicking game, the Cowboys special teams unit can be rather awful. And this isn’t just some new development we can blame on new faces in new places. Yes, the Cowboys have roster turnover on special teams from year to year just like other teams, but they also reserve a roster spot for C.J. Goodwin whose only responsibility on the team is special teams. The problems the Cowboys are having are something that keeps traveling with the team from year to year.
For example, the latest miscue with the blocked punt. This marks the second time in the John Fassel era that a blocked punt has turned into a new set of downs for the kicking team because a backup defense back tried to recover the ball. Sure, these are fast-paced plays with milliseconds to react, but it’s the Cowboys who keep making poor choices.
The blunders are plentiful. Brandon Aubrey’s first-ever missed field goal was because a blocker on the line of scrimmage botched his assignment. Sorry rookie, no perfect season for you! Aubrey has had two field goal attempts blocked already in his short career. All it takes is for one guy to ruin things for everyone as these mental lapses can be costly.
It’s not just bonehead mistakes by a player on an individual play. Sometimes the play never had a chance from the get-go. That’s how you can describe...
